David Fifita (rugby league, born 1989)


David Fifita is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a for Wakefield Trinity in the Super League.
He previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL. He has spent time on loan from Wakefield at the Dewsbury Rams in the Championship.

Background

He was born in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia.
Fifita is of Indigenous Australian and Tongan descent and played his junior rugby league for St Patricks Blacktown and Doonside Roos, before being signed by the Wests Tigers.
Fifita is the twin brother of fellow Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks player Andrew Fifita, and cousin of Brisbane Broncos player David Fifita He is not related to John Fifita, a former St George Dragons player. Fifita's elder brother Latu Fifita plays for Workington Town in the Kingstone Press Championship.

Playing career

Early career

In 2009, Fifita played for the Wests Tigers' NYC team In 2010, he played for Tonga alongside his brother. In 2011, he moved on to the Tigers' New South Wales Cup teams, Balmain Ryde-Eastwood Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies. At the end of 2012, he joined the Lézignan Sangliers in the Elite One Championship.
In June 2013, after finishing his season with Lézignan, he attracted the interest of NRL clubs, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Melbourne Storm.
He eventually signed a contract with the Sharks for the rest of the 2013 NRL season, the club where his twin brother Andrew played. After playing 6 games for the Sharks in the NSW Cup, he re-signed with them for 2014.
Fifita was a member of the 2013 NSW Cup premiership side which defeated Windsor Wolves 38-6 in the grand final.

2014

In Round 2 of the 2014 NRL season, Fifita made his NRL début for the Sharks against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. On 17 July 2014, he re-signed with the Sharks on a 2-year contract.

2015

On 13 February 2015, Fifita played for the Indigenous All Stars against the NRL All Stars in the 2015 All Stars match. In October, Fifita was selected in Tonga's 48-man train-on squad for the Asia-Pacific Qualifier for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. He would go on to make the final 18-man squad where he would be named the 18th man and would fill in for any late injuries, suspensions or tactical changes. He would go on to play in that match, in what was only his second appearance for Tonga, after filling in for Leilani Latu.

2016

On 7 May, Fifita played for Tonga against Samoa in the 2016 Polynesian Cup. On 10 June, after gaining a release from the Sharks, he joined the Wakefield Trinity in the Super League on a 1-year contract, with an option for a second year, effective immediately.
Fifita has turned into a big fans favourite at Wakefield Trinity due to his physical dominance in the middle of the park, a barnstorming prop.